The present invention relates to an apparatus for removing foreign particles from air. More particularly, the invention relates; to an apparatus for cleaning air in an auto body repair shop and in industrial areas where foreign particles such as; dust, dirt, paint, and the like, are in air.
The repair and refinishing of automobile bodies, for example, produce a variety of particles which become airborne during these processes. Included in these particles are dust, dirt, grindings, paints and primers. Air also includes vapors and fumes from the repairing materials. The particles, vapors and fumes are air contaminants which endanger the lives of people breathing air in or near the shop.
Presently utilized apparatus used to clean dusty air in auto body shops include media filters, or electrostatic particle traps which are usually suspended from the ceiling. This results in the disadvantage of lighter airborne contaminants slowly travelling up to the filter through the breathing space of the people working at ground level, thereby permitting heavier contaminants to remain at ground level, where people are breathing. Another disadvantage is that such a prior art apparatus recirculates shop air, permitting unfilterable vapors and fumes to remain in air being inhaled. Still another disadvantage of such an apparatus is that as the filters and traps accumulate dust, and the like, their air flow rate lowers and diminishes their intake capabilities.
Presently utilized air cleaning apparatus is not designed to accept paint and primer particles, due to the sticky adhesive nature of such particles. This creates a need for additional specialized equipment, such as, for example, sprayed paint exhausting enclosures, or booths, which include either common replaceable dry media filters, or wet wash to capture airborne paint particles. Wet washing is commonly used in high production applications and utilizes large, expensive, stationary booths. Furthermore, neither dry nor wet sprayed paint exhaust systems are suited to continually accept dust and dirt, and are likely to clog if they do.
Known air cleaning apparatus is primarily designed to remove specific particulate from air, whereas specific designs limit the various particles the apparatus may remove from air. More importantly, known air cleaning apparatus functions at specific air flow rates, and if an air cleaning apparatus were to operate at a much higher air flow rate, the ability to keep people in the contaminated area from breathing harmful contaminants would be greatly increased.
Air cleaning apparatus of the prior art is normally stationary, having specific particulate intake capabilities, leaving a manufactured product to revolve in manufacture to a different specific work area for completion. In small business applications this concept makes inefficient use of skilled labor and floor space. Therefore, a combination particulate, portable air cleaning device will enhance limited size businesses with labor savings by increased production from healthier employees and a variable use work area, as well as capital savings due to elimination of multiple equipment and floor space expenditures. The failure of air cleaning apparatus of the prior art to provide all of the aforementioned important services in an affordable, portable combination particulate, operationally cost effective, situation adaptable, high volume unit may be its greatest drawback. This leaves the small business operation, or hobbyist in need of an air cleaning system that is able to provide effective air cleaning in today's variable and non-variable particulate producing work places.
The principal object of the invention is to provide a portable apparatus for removing foreign particles from air.
An object of the invention is to provide apparatus for removing foreign particles from air with efficiency, effectiveness and reliability.
Another object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive apparatus for removing foreign particles from air.
Still another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for removing foreign particles from air and thereby cleaning large volumes of air at high speed.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for removing foreign particles from air, which apparatus does not permit contaminants to remain in the cleaned area.
Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for removing foreign particles from air, which apparatus does not recirculate shop air and thereby prevents vapors and fumes from remaining in air.
Still another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for removing foreign particles, including paint and paint primer particles, from air.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for removing foreign particles from air, which apparatus will not clog.
Another object of the invention is to provide a wet cleaning apparatus for removing foreign particles from air.
Still another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for removing foreign particles from air, which apparatus is capable of extended continuous operation.